QuoteThe old policy relied mainly upon the simple presence or absence of certain physical parts. The new policy presupposes that a transsexual person cannot be trusted to know his or her own mind, and that their assertion of their own gender identity must be backed up by someone else.
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I guess my true core issue here is one of class. This new policy, while far easier to deal with for some, is still an unreasonably high hurdle for low-income transpeople, those who can't afford the services of a gender specialist to obtain that signature on the form.
Okay, let's take this apart. The old policy required some kind of surgury, which you sure won't be able to afford if you can't afford a therapist for six months. Furthermore, access to that surgury requires a therapist to sign off on a statement far more powerful than the one required by NJ.
Now, what level of "gender specialist" is required? The choices are physician, therapist, or social worker. So I imagine that if you can afford an endocrinologist, you should be okay. If you can't, I should hope you can see some doctor, and get them to sign off. I don't know where the social worker would come in. But I'm sure you can find
someone "whose practice includes assisting, treating, or counseling persons with gender identity issues," including you, and who can, in their professional opinion, attest that you are who you say you are.
Of course, it would be nice if changing the gender marker were as easy as correcting a mistake or updating a change in eye color, height, or weight. But that just doesn't seem all that onerous to me.
